Varsity Spirit issues music guidelines

The following is a message from Varsity Spirit regarding U.S. copyright law for music. The guidelines mentioned will be implemented for all cheer and dance team camps and competitions going forward.

Dear Coaches,

Varsity Spirit has always been committed to protecting our athletes and coaches. From physical safety to legal protection, we believe it is our mission to create a safe and positive atmosphere for athletes. To this end, I wanted to share an important update about new music guidelines at all of our camps and competitions (including nationals).

USA Cheer released the USA Cheer Music Copyrights Educational Initiative, and we are committed to sharing the information and implementing these guidelines at all of our camps and competitions, beginning immediately. This initiative was designed to ensure that the spirit community is aware of U.S. copyright laws related to music. You can review the announcement from USA Cheer here.

There is a lot of important information for all of us – event producers, coaches, choreographers, and athletes. However, please note that this information aligns with our recently released guidelines in regards to music at summer camps at which teams have the option to bring a home routine. To help simplify these new guidelines, Varsity Spirit has created an additional resource that provides you with options for the upcoming competition season.

Please read through all of this information carefully. You can find the USA Cheer Music Copyrights Educational Initiative, as well as Frequently Asked Questions on USACheer.net. USA Cheer is also developing a preferred music provider list, which will be updated on USACheer.net/music as new providers are identified.

We will continue to build relationships with the entertainment industry, including music and production companies, to explore ways of working together.

If you have additional questions, contact your State Director or you can email your questions to info@usacheer.net
Bill Seely
Executive Vice President, Training and Education